Sig Christenson is a veteran military reporter who has made nine trips to the war zone. He writes regularly for Hearst about service members, veterans and heroes, among other topics. He is also the co-founder and former president of Military Reporters and Editors, founded in 2002.

07/08/2014

Medal of Honor portal honors 'real heroes'

There's long been talk of saluting San Antonio's war heroes, but the idea moved in fits and starts until last week, when 175 people converged at the Tobin Center to dedicate the Medal of Honor River Portal.

The portal is a gateway to the new Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, which opens in September.

The soldiers honored at the site were both famous and obscure, ranging from privates to generals and even a president, but all had one thing in common — exceptional valor.

“They're just super examples of soldiers, and I think that might be why they did what they did,” said Eldon “Buddy” Gee, 73, a San Antonio Special Forces veteran of Vietnam. “It's just the way they are, it's their chemistry, their body, their biological makeup.”